Fastener



Aug. 4, 1942. E. KERN 2,292,226

FASTENER Y Filed June 7, 1941 jfA TTH/VEY Patented Aug. 4, 1942 UNITED ST Y' TES PATENT OFFICE FASTENER Emil Kern, Long Island City, N. Y., assigner to Acco Products, Inc., Long Island City, N. Y., a

corporation of New York and quickly moved into an unlocked or ineifecy tive position and readily moved down against and detachably locked in place over prongs overlying the top face of the compressor.

Another object is to provide a fastener comthrough the stack are threaded through the compressor recesses I2 and then bent inwardly toward each other downwardly over and against the top face of the compressor plate. Obviously, spaced slots may be provided in the compressor plate adjacent its ends instead of the recesses I2, but in either event the recesss or slots prevent lateral shifting of the compressor plate relative to the prongs.

One longitudinal edge of the compressor plate II is folded upwardly and then inwardly to define an elevated longitudinal reinforcing portion I6 which preferably terminates short of the ends of the compressor plate and has its longitudinal end portions rolled over downwardly t o provide axially aligned bearing portions I'I. A latch frame I8, preferably formed of spring steel wire, includes a longitudinal side portion pressor of the character described which is not v scription proceeds will be more readily underl stood from a perusal of the following description, in which reference is made to the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a plan view showing the compressor in use with the latching frame in closed and locked position.

Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1, showing the latching frame, in dotted lines, in an elevated position.

The invention is concerned primarily with a fastener compressor of a type having a novel resilient latching frame hingedly mounted at one edge along one longitudinal compressor edge so as to be readily engageable for movement toward or away from prongs of an associated base element while said prongs are in bent position overlying the top face of the compressor. The invention also contemplates novel means embodied in the frame structure to facilitate its being easily and quickly released or locked.

Referring particularly to the drawing, the fastener compressor includes a substantially rectangular sheet of stiff material II, such as sheet metal, preferably formed at each end with a recess I2. In use, the compressor plate is associated with a well known type of base element I3 having spaced bendable prongs I4 adapted to extend through similarly spaced openings in a stack of papers I5 when said base element is placed against the bottom face of said stack.

The end portions of the prongs extending I9 and lateral end portions 2I and is mounted on the top of the compressor frame for hinging movement downwardly, from a position substantially as illustrated in dotted lines in Fig. 2 over and against the top face of the compressor plate. The mounting preferably employed to facilitate this movement includes the bearing portions I'I each of which receives one of the longitudinally turned opposed end portions 22 provided on the latch frame.

After the prongs have been threaded through the recesses I2 and bent -down over the top face of the compressor plate, the latch frame I8 is swung into its substantially horizontal position as shown in full lines in Figs. 1 and 2, in which position its longitudinal side portion IIJ overlies the bent over prong portions to retain said prong portions tightly against the top face of the compressor.

The latching frame preferably is secured in this latching position by inter-latching engagement between a substantially V-shaped projection 23 formed in the longitudinal side portion I9 and an elevated lip 24 provided on the free forward edge of the compressor plate II. As shown, the elevated lip 24 has a cut-out at 25 throughwhich the apex of the V-shaped portion 23 is urged during the final downward movement of the latch frame. Such forcible passage of the apex of the portion 23 through the cut-out 25 necessitates lateral flexing of the longitudinal side portion I9, as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 1. When the latch is in its locked position, it is securely held tightly down over the bent over prongs and said prongs can be released only upon flexing said side portion laterally suiiiciently to disengage the apex of the V-shaped portion 23 from beneath the elevated lip 25. The normal inherent resiliency of the bent over prongs i4 is suicient to maintain the latch frame in frctional contact with the underside of the lip portion, consequently, inadvertent disengagement of the latching frame from beneath the lip is always prevented.

A latch frame formed of a resilient wire loop, instead of a sheet of material, is preferred because frequently the prongs become kinked from repeated bending at different lines of bend due to an increase or decrease in the thickness of the le with the result that a fire frame can more readily adjust itself to such irregularities and not be rendered incapable of latching.

Although an exemplary embodiment of the present invention is illustrated and described in detail, it is to be understood that the invention may embody a variety of modifications in detail structure without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A fastener compressor comprising, in combination, an elongated plate adapted to have spaced prongs bent down inwardly toward each other against its top face, a hinge element on one longitudinal edge of said plate, a resilient substantially rectangular loop rotatably mounted in said hinge element for swinging movement toward and away from said plate, said loop being substantially narrower than said plate whereby its free longitudinal side portion overlies the bent down prongs, a lip on the other longitudinal edge of said plate having an opening therein, and a projection on said loop arranged to pass through said opening and yieldably engage beneath said lip to hold the loop down against the prongs.

2. A fastener compressor comprising, in combination, an elongated plate adapted to have prongs bent down inwardly from each end against its top face, a hinge element on one longitudinal edge of said plate, an elongated resilient frame rotatably mounted along one longitudinal edge portion in said hinge element for swinging movement toward and away from said plate whereby its free longitudinal edge portion may be positioned over said bent down prongs, a lip on the other longitudinal edge of said plate having an opening therein, and a projection on the said free edge portion of the resilient frame arranged to be urged through said opening for engagement beneath said lip.

3. A fastener compressor comprising, in combination, an elongated plate adapted to have spaced prongs bent down against its top face, a hinge element on one longitudinal edge of said plate, a substantially rectangular loop having one longitudinal side portion rotatably mounted in said hinge element for swinging movement by said loop toward and away from said plate, a projection on the free longitudinal side portion of said loop, and a socket on the other edge of said plate having an entrance opening to receive said Aprojection therethrough for engagement in said socket to detachably lock said loop down over said prongs.

4. A fastener compressor comprising, in combination, an elongated plate adapted to have prongs bent down inwardly from each end against its top face, an inwardly turned elevated lip on one longitudinal edge of said plate, hinge elements formed one at each end of said lip, a resilient frame having one longitudinal edge rotatably mounted in said hinge elements for swinging movement toward and away from said plate, and means on said plate yieldably engageable by means on said resilient frame to detachably lock said frame with its free forward edge portion against the top of said prongs.

5. A fastener compressor comprising, in combination, an elongated .plate adapted to have prongs bent down inwardly from each end against its top face, a hinge element on one longitudinal edge of said plate, a resilient frame substantially co-eXtensive with said plate rotatably mounted in said hinge element for swinging movement toward and away from said plate, an elevated lip on the other plate edge substantially midway between the ends of said plate, said lip having an opening, and a projection on said resilient frame arranged to pass through said opening for yieldable engagement with said lip to hold the frame down against the prongs.

6. A fastener compressor comprising, in combination, a substantially rectangular plate adapted to have prongs bent over against its top face, a hinge element on one longitudinal edge of said plate, a substantially rectangular resilient frame rotatably mounted along one edge in said hinge element for swinging movement toward and away from said plate, a lip on the other edge of said plate having an opening therein, and a projection on the free longitudinal edge of said frame arranged to be urged through said opening for engagement beneath said lip.

EMIL KERN. 

